Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-08

II was primitive way and so wasteful Of
wood that it required tree 10 furnish fuel
enough to prepare breakfast, but under the
hands OF a skillful woman those ovens and
skillets turned out yiands with a flavor that
no modern appliance can equal
The joists Of the house were thicky hung
with the small delicious hams of the country
hams made from young and tender hogs,
which had lived and fattened upon the
acorns, fragrant hickory nuts and dainty
beach nuts of the abundant mast of the
forest, until they were saturated with their
delicate, nutty favor. This was farther en-
riched by piquancy gained from the smoke
of tho burning hickory and oak, with which
they were cured, and the absorption of odors
from the scented herbs in the rooms where
they were drying. Many have sung the
praises of kcntncky'S horses, whisky and
women, but no poet has tuned his Tyre to the
more fruitful theme of kentucky's mast-fed,
smoke-cured, herb-scented hams. For such
man waits crown of enduring bays.
Slices of this savory ham, fried in a skillet
the truth of history forces the reluctant
confession that the march of progress had
not yet brought the gridiron and its virtues
to the mountains-a hot pme of golden yell
low meal, whose steaming sweetness had not
been allowed to distill off, but had been
forced back into the loaf by the hot oven lid;
coffee as black and strong as the virile in
fusions which cheer the hearts of the true be
levers in the tents of the Turk, and cream
from COWS that cropped the GLORIOUS and
juicy grasses of mountain meadows, made a
breakfast that could not have been more APP
6 Oh 80
garnished by polygot bill of fare
Moved thereto by the hospitable urgings of
Aunt Debby and his own appetite, Harry ate
heartily Under the influence of the com
Portable meal, the cheerful sunshine and the
rousing of the energies that follow a change
from recumbent 10 an erect posture, his
spirits rose to manlier pitch. As he could
not walk without pain, he took his seat in
slat-hottomed chair by the side of the hearth,
and Aunt Debby, knitting in hand, occupied
low rocker nearly opposite
where's Mr.. Fortnera7 asked Harry.
Jim got up arly, an arter eatin' a snack,
said he'd go out en- take look around-rneb-
be he mout 60 ez fur ez the ford"
As if to accompany Harry's instructive
tremor over the possibilities attending the
ItSuIliptitl VI ftfbilci BIO"ittiS dlptiftl tiit
inks of Zollicoffer's army, the fire shot off
a whole volley Of sharp little explosions.
Harry sprang two or three inches above
his chair, then Redeemed violently, and es
saved to conceal his confusion by assiduous
attention with the poker TO the wants of the
fire
Aunt Debby regarded him with gentle COM
passion.
Eyer all shuck up by the Happenings yester-
dav," she said with such tactful sympathy
that his sensitive mettle was not offended
'1'is natural We should be. Hits alters So
Folks kin say what they please but fouten's
terrible irwin to the narves, no matter who
does bit. My husband wuz in the Mexican
war. an he's often tole me tibet fur weeks
arter the battle o Buner Visty he couldn't
heah twig snap withouten his heart poppin'
right up inter his mouth. and hit wuz SO
with everybody else, much ez they tried ter
play off uneonsarned like"
"Ah, really, said Harry, deeply interested
in all that concerned this woman, whose re
markable qualities were impressing them
selves upon his recognition. What part of
the army did your husband belong tor
He wuz in the Kentucky regiment com
manded by Kunnel Henry Clay, son ofthe
great Henry Clay, who wuz killed thar My
husband was promoted to leftenant fur his
brav'ry in the battle
"Then this is not your first experience with
warT
"No, indeed said she. with Just trace Of
pride swelling in the temples delicate net
work of blue veins 'The FORMERS an the
Drills air soljer families, an Their young men
hev shouldered Their guns whenever the
country needed fouten men. Great gran
fathers Brill an Fortner come inter the state
along with Dan1 Boone nigh on ter n hun
dred years ago, and sence then them an ther
descendants hev fit Injuns, Brittishers an
Mexikins ev'ry time an inimy raised c sword
agin the country"
MANY of them lose their livess'
ayes: ev'ry war hey cost the families some
member. Gran'fathers Brill an FORMER war
both on 'em killed at the Iniun ambush at
| Blue Licks. J WIZ only baby when my
father v,lz killed at the massacre OF Win
chester's men at the River Raisin Ny
brother" -
Father of the man l was with yester.
day."
"No; his father wuz my oldest brother.
| NY Youngest brOther-the baby Of the fam.
ily-wrIs lnortally wounded by copper bal
| in the charge on the bishops palace at the
takin' o Monterey
"And your htisband-he went through the
war safely, did her
| The pleasant mobile lines upon the woman
! face CONCEALED into stony hardness At the
moment of Harry's question she was begin
ming to count the stitches in her work fol-
some feminine mystery of narrowing" OF
turning" She stopped, and hands and knit
ting dropped into her lap.
my husband" she said slowly and bitterly
"wuz spared by the Mexikins tibet he fit, but
| not by his own countrymen an neighbors
| amongst whom he wuz brung up. His blood
| wuz not poured out on the soil he invaded
but WIZ drunk by the land bis forefathers an
kinsmen he'd died fur. The goddess greasers
| on the Rier Grande war kinder ter him mol
the Christian gentlemen on the Rockassel'
| The intensity and bitterness of the utter
ance revealed long coming of the expires
sion Of bitter truths.
He lost his life, them said Harry, par
tally comprehending, lin some of the
| troubles around here Y
"He wuz killed bekase he wouldn't helI
break down what hit he'd cost so much tel
build up He wuz killed bekase he thot g
pore mans life wuth moen rich mans mig
ger. He WIZ killed bekase he b'lieved this
whole country belonged ter the men who'd fiji
fur hit an made hit what hit is, an tibet Bit
wuzn't a plantation fur a passel o. slave
drivers ter boss an divide up jess ez hit suited
| EN-
"Why, thought all you kentuckians wert
strongly in favor of keeping the negroes II
slavery said Harry in amazement.
"Keepin' the niggers ez slaves amt thu
question at all We folks air ez fur from
bein' Abolitionists ez ennybody Hits &
battle now with lot Nv 'ristocrats who'c
take our rights away"
'I don't quite understand your position,
said Harry.
Hits bekase We don't understand thu
country. The people down heah air divided
into three classes. Fust thar's the few very
| ,;ob fa,,,-I;o- tLa% bo,- birr orar in FIJI,